20,000 jobs up for grab

CEBU, Philippines — About 20,000 job opportunities will be opened to Cebuanos as the Cebu Provincial Government holds its 1st Quarter 2026 Local and Overseas Job Fair today and tomorrow, Sunday, at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

The two-day employment activity, spearheaded by the Cebu Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and the Cebu People's Action Center (CPAC), aims to provide accessible and decent job opportunities for job seekers across the province.

The job fair will gather 49 employers in total—33 for local hiring and 16 for overseas employment offering vacancies across various industries.

Today, February 21, is dedicated to overseas employment from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., while the second day, February 22, will focus on local hiring from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

According to Josephine Tonilon, alternate employment officer, the job fair carries a unified goal for PESO and CPAC--to provide decent employment for Cebu constituents.

“Ang CPAC ug PESO we have one direction, that is ang paghatag og disenteng trabaho sa mga Cebu constituents,” said Tonilon.

She added that the February activity is the first of four job fairs that the provincial government plans to conduct this year.

To help applicants complete their requirements on-site, six government agencies will provide documentation services, including the Philippine Statistics Authority, National Bureau of Investigation, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, and the Land Transportation Office.

For overseas employment, Tonilon said available positions are mostly related to the tourism and service sector such as hotel staff, waitresses, and caregivers, along with other skilled work opportunities.

She noted that employers are largely recruiting for Asian destinations, including Kuwait and Dubai, where demand for service and skilled workers remains strong.

Local job openings, on the other hand, include positions in department stores, hotels, restaurants, as well as salon and spa establishments.

The initiative forms part of the employment generation agenda of Governor Pamela Baricuatro, which focuses on workforce development and expanding job access for Cebuanos.

During the launch of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Plan 2025–2034 on January 20, 2026, the governor emphasized that employment goes beyond statistics.

“We recognize that employment is not just about numbers—it is about dignity, opportunity, and the ability of every Cebuano to build a better future for their families,” Baricuatro said.

She also underscored the importance of inclusive growth and people-centered governance to ensure that development reaches every Sugboanon.

Moreover, in her inauguration on July 1, 2025, the governor committed to prioritizing employment generation and strengthening skills development for the province’s workforce.

In a video message, Baricuatro personally encouraged job seekers to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Daghang company, daghang hiring. Daghan og chance para maka trabaho mo dayon,” she said.

“For me, service is not just programs and meetings. Service means jobs that provide food for the family and hope for every home,” the governor added.

Data from the provincial government showed that during the October 2025 job fair, the first held under Baricuatro’s administration, around 600 applicants were hired for local employment and about 200 were deployed for overseas work.